A Brit-picker's guide to writing Sherlock (or Britain in a nutshell)!
by librarianmum
Summary: A (hopefully) useful overview of some customs, terminology and cultural references that might be useful to non-British writers setting their story in the Sherlock of the BBC series. Topics include the weather, how British men dress, our health system, John's work, the police, British education systems and British terminology. Rated M only because of swear word descriptions.


**A Brit-picker's guide to writing Sherlock (or Britain in a nutshell)**

Well, I've read a few Sherlock fics on here, and sometimes it's – well – kind of obvious that the writer doesn't hale from this green and pleasant land. Which is good, because it would be pretty bloody boring (and overcrowded) if we all did, and Sherlock would never get his Sussex cottage and bees to retire to.

But…anyway, sometimes I notice little errors that suggest that London, Britain and the lifestyle of the average consulting detective and army-invalided doctor sharing a flat in Baker Street are not _entirely _familiar to the writer. I make no criticism – if you want to write an AU in which Sherlock and John are Californian college guys, by all means go ahead (and I'll probably read and enjoy it).

But…if you're the kind of person who likes to make sure their facts are reasonably correct, then I hope this article will help. Personally, if I were writing a fic about CSI: Miami, for example, I'd probably try to find out a bit about life in America to make sure my writing was 'authentic' and made sense in context. But I'm NOT criticising anyone who doesn't do that – honest!

I'm sure other people have covered this topic on here somewhere, so I apologise if I'm just repeating stuff. Also, some of it might not seem all that relevant to Sherlock, but then it depends on what you're writing about. I've tried to take into consideration kid!Sherlock/John or student!Sherlock/John fics as well as those that are more in-canon.

Anyway…read on! And please don't be offended – this is just a light-hearted look at some of the things that stand out as particularly non-British… and to highlight some of our idiosyncrasies.

I'm going to cover the weather, clothes, food/drink, the British health care system (and how John works), the police, the education system (state and private) and common language/terminology. If anyone wants advice on any other area, please don't hesitate to ask!

* * *

And, in true British style, we start with…

**THE WEATHER**

First thing to note is that it's variable. _Really_ variable. And it seems to bear no relation to the calendar month, which means it'll be pissing down with rain in June, freezing cold in August and blazing sunshine in October. The most important accessory you can have is an umbrella (that Mycroft is a clever chap). Having said that, London is usually one of the drier parts of the country (which probably won't mean much if you're from Arizona). Look, there's a _reason_ why this country's so green.

Secondly, the variation in temperature is usually not that great. I mean, we _might_ have a slightly thicker coat with a hat and gloves in winter, but thermal underwear and snow shoes are not normal requirements. I tend to wear the same jacket all year round. And the summers are not (usually) all that hot – about 25 degrees C (77 F) is usually as good as it gets. By the way, I live on the south coast, so am used to a slightly warmer scenario; if you were in Scotland or on the north east coast of England, you would probably expect winters to be a bit colder than they are in Bournemouth (where I am these days) or in London.

We don't tend to have:

Snow storms that take out the power lines in most of London and leave our heroes in the dark and cold, and forced to share body warmth with hilarious consequences (sorry guys, but we really don't)

Romantic snow at Christmas (apart from in Scotland and north England perhaps). Occasionally, if we're very lucky, we'll get about an inch of snow in January/February, and instantly all hell will break lose – schools will close, trains will stop, news bulletins will focus on happy kids sledging down hills and commuters will moan (but then they do that anyway). And no one knows how to walk on snow, so you'll see a lot of people falling on their arses, lining A&E (accident and emergency departments) with broken limbs and complaining because the council didn't foresee it and send out the gritting lorries the previous night.

Heatwaves. There was a famous one about ten years ago, where the temperatures got up to around 38 degrees C, and we were entirely unprepared for it, hence a lot of elderly people died. Most Britons don't have air conditioning – it's seen as a waste of time, and new built houses don't tend to come with it included. We just dig out our fans or mobile air conditioners if it comes to it. In their old-fashioned flat, Sherlock and John would just _die_. Or walk around naked and suck ice cubes off each other (but that's just _your_ lurid imagination, so get your mind out of the gutter). But anyway, heatwaves don't happen that often and certainly not every year.

Storms – we have them, but they're not that scary, and (again) they don't usually take out the power lines of greater London.

The only type of extreme weather we get is rainstorms leading to flash floods, but that doesn't tend to happen in London. In fact, during the ten years I lived there, I don't remember any exciting weather-related event that might inconvenience our heroes to a great degree. Sorry…

* * *

**HOW BRITISH MEN DRESS**

This is really just about terminology. I think most people get Sherlock right, with his Spencer Hart suits, purple shirt of sex and (possibly) no underwear.

John is more tricky. A common perception is that he dresses badly. Yes, he likes his cuddly jumpers, but that's not unusual for the average British male. In fact, he would actually be considered a 'smart casual' dresser – he wears lots of 'classic separates'. A 'slobby' British male would wear saggy t-shirts and tracksuit bottoms when they're not at work (aka my lovely husband!). John doesn't do that. In his shirts, jumpers and jeans, he's a very typical British professional who is 'off-duty' – not a slob - although Sherlock might not see it that way, from his slightly rarefied, private school background.

When John is at work, he'd probably wear either a fairly casual suit and tie (not tailored), or even just a shirt and trousers with a non-matching jacket. General Practitioners (primary care doctors) like John don't _always_ dress in suits, and sometimes don't wear a tie (my GP doesn't). Sharp suits are usually for city workers and consulting detectives.

Here's a quick guide to tricky terminology here:

**Pants = British underpants**. We _are_ used to the fact that US authors mean trousers/jeans when they say 'pants', so it only causes occasional sniggers these days. But worth noting. Otherwise known as boxers or briefs. Trunks usually refers to swimming trunks, not underwear.

**Dress pants = trousers**, either those worn as part of a suit, aka Sherlock, or more casual non-jeans. Men don't tend to refer to them as slacks, chinos etc. – just trousers. Sherlock's might be described as suit trousers.

**Sweats = joggers or tracksuit bottoms**, i.e. sportswear. But Sherlock and John are unlikely to wear that kind of thing (in canon, anyway), as neither of them tend to trundle down to the local gym that often (if at all). If you wear joggers in central London and you're not jogging, you might stand out a bit, unless you're a teenager in a hoodie.

**Jeans = well, jeans, actually**. Or possibly denims.

**Corduroys** - John is unlikely to wear corduroy trousers. Despite Benedict's best efforts with his maroon cords (eek), they are usually perceived to be something your dad wears to the garden centre at weekends. If you have Benedict's height, body and general coolness, you'd get away with it – just about. And Martin might have the cheek to do it. I can't see John Watson in them – but I'm sure an eagle-eyed viewer will prove me wrong.

**Wife-beaters = vest**. This one caused me some confusion. I gather it's some kind of vest that you wear under your shirt? Well, John would NEVER wear a vest. See above comment re. your dad. It's just too uncool for the average youngish British bloke, unless it's absolutely freezing out there. John is far more likely to wear an ordinary short-sleeved t-shirt under his shirt. Talking of which…

**Tee = t-shirt**. This is likely to have short sleeves. Sleeveless t-shirts do exist, but John isn't likely to wear them – might be perceived to be a bit 'chavvy' (a bit common) if worn in public. Having spent a fair amount of my 10 years in London crushed on a busy Tube in dangerously close proximity to much taller male strangers' smelly underarm hairs, I tend to agree.

Tops might be jumpers, sweaters or, possibly, sweatshirts – although John might be a bit too 'urban' for a sweatshirt.

**Button-downs or Oxfords = shirts** (the type with a collar, that you button up).

**Shoes** - usually just known as shoes, not usually by the name of the make of shoe. Sherlock's type of footwear might occasionally be described as dress shoes. Trainers are sports shoes for jogging/gym etc., but are sometimes worn by British men as casual shoes. John is probably more likely to wear a smarter casual shoe.

**Boots = could be either walking boots or wellies** (wellington boots), which someone like Anderson would probably wear at a crime scene or our heroes might wear if they ventured into the muddy countryside. For example, John would probably have worn walking boots to Dartmoor, being a sensible chap. (My heart quailed at the thought of poor Benedict having to scramble up Hound Tor for that classic scene in the Hounds of Baskerville – I've stood in that very same spot on top of the rock and it involves a bit of a leap across a chasm between rocks, which is NOT recommended in prissy dress shoes).

* * *

**FOOD AND DRINK**

First of all, as Steven Moffatt has pointed out a couple of times, these are youngish blokes sharing a flat, so baked beans are going to be heavily involved – they probably have an entire cupboard-full. But here's a guide, meal by meal.

**Breakfast:**

Cereal = cornflakes, Weetabix, branflakes, sugar puffs (OK, maybe not that last one). This is considered a healthy, quick breakfast, and John might eat something of this nature, probably just with milk and a cup of coffee or tea.

Or

Toast – usually eaten with butter/margarine and jam/marmalade. Again, perceived as quick and reasonably healthy. Kids or hormonal mums like me might resort to Nutella (chocolate spread), but I see John as more of a classic jam addict.

Or

Cooked breakfast. In a hotel or café, this is usually known as a Full English, and could consist of all or any of: bacon, eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, sausages, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, fried bread.

In reality, most Brits don't bother with a cooked breakfast every morning. It's usually a weekend or holiday treat. And we don't always go for the full English – usually something like a 'bacon sarnie' (bacon sandwich with tomato ketchup), or eggs and bacon with toast will suffice. Or an omelette, if you're feeling posh.

We don't eat:

Ham with eggs – it's usually bacon rather than ham.

'Biscuits' (in Britain, biscuits are sweet items, the equivalent of cookies).

Pancakes or waffles, with honey or syrup – not unless there are kids in the house – that kind of breakfast is perceived as a bit unhealthy (ironic considering the amount of fat you get in the average British sausage).

Some Brits are 'continental' in their tastes, so might have a croissant or pan au chocolat for breakfast. They wouldn't generally eat doughnuts (or donuts).

And eggs are either fried (not described as over-easy or sunny side up), or poached (perceived as more healthy), or scrambled, or boiled (children eat them with 'soldiers' – cut up strips of buttered bread).

**Lunch:**

Usually something light – a sandwich or salad and a yoghurt or fruit. Possibly something snacky like crisps or a chocolate bar. In cold weather, possibly soup. Years ago, it was more usual to eat a cooked, fairly big lunch and then have something lighter later on instead of dinner, but modern Brits are usually too busy, particularly people who are working during the day, like John.

**Tea/Dinner:**

As mentioned above, Brits used to have a cooked lunch and a substantial pudding, usually with a fairly dodgy name (I have fond memories of Spotted Dick and custard from my school days), and would therefore just have something light, e.g. sandwiches or beans on toast, later on at round 5pm. Some young children still eat this way, especially if they're at a school that still provides a cooked lunch (some now require kids to bring a packed lunch). But adults tend to miss 'tea' and have a cooked dinner later on.

In the case of our two bachelors, this is unlikely to be that elaborate, hence the baked beans. Baked beans on toast (and they _have _to be Heinz baked beans, nothing else will do) is a fondly-remembered meal reminiscent of student days for most Brits, and many men don't extend beyond the subtleties of student cuisine until they get married or move in with a chef. I speak from the experience of a husband who still needs reminding how to scramble eggs (our five year old daughter has a better understanding of these things than he does) – although it has to be said that most British husbands are not quite as bad as him.

In John's case, I suspect that he's quite a reasonable cook – of the basics at least. Most men who've got to his age and are still single probably are. Also, my brother-in-law is ex-navy and a bloody _amazing_ cook – I gather that, in the military, even those who aren't expected to prepare or serve food are still well trained in how to look after themselves. So, possibly quite wrongly, I ascertain from this that John might also be quite good – handy enough to be able to knock together the odd curry or pasta dish, anyway. And, as a doctor, he probably understands the rules of good nutrition. Whether Sherlock eats his meals is another matter.

Cupboard staples (apart from baked beans) are likely to be packets of dry pasta and rice, sliced bread (wholemeal if John is feeling healthy), eggs, cereal, and packets of (sweet) biscuits (see snacks below). The fridge is likely to contain milk, which usually comes in plastic 1, 2 or 4 litre containers these days, rather than glass bottles. John probably goes for skimmed or semi-skimmed. Other fridge staples might be cheese (usually a hard cheese like Cheddar), ham, bacon and fresh vegetables – e.g. carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions and potatoes. I don't know whether they have a big freezer – it might just be a small section within their fridge, with enough space for some frozen sausages, fish and mince.

And yes, they're likely to get quite a few takeaways too.

Regarding takeaways – the popular ones for British blokes are: Indian, Chinese/Thai or pizza. Traditional fish and chips are a bit out of fashion. Kebabs/burgers are possible, but are more popular with younger people with slightly less money, e.g. they are more likely to go into a MacDonalds, whereas someone like Sherlock wouldn't be seen dead anywhere near a burger bar. Mexican is not that big in Britain, as a takeaway at least, although we have plenty of Mexican restaurants. An Italian restaurant, e.g. a place like Angelo's is unlikely to provide a takeaway meal.

Desserts (puddings) are not that big in the average home, and more likely to be eaten at a restaurant, unless there are children at home. Some adults (and children) might eat a yoghurt or some fruit for 'afters', but, in general, dessert is seen as a bit of an extravagance. The exception might be ice-cream if you're female and hormonal, but I don't see John or Sherlock falling into that category (unless you're going down the alpha/omega/mpreg route).

**Drinks**

The rules are _usually_ coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon, but it depends on taste. There's a general perception that John is a bit of a tea addict, so he may drink tea in the morning too. He's unlikely to make a pot – he'll probably just swill a teabag around in a mug and add some milk. Pots with 'proper' tea leaves, milk jugs and cups and saucers are more usual in a café or restaurant (or in an underground car park with Mycroft), unless you're VERY posh – this would fit in with Sherlock's deliberately posh version of tea when Moriarty comes visiting. Coffee is often instant, unless you're very fond of it, in which case you may have a cafetiere.

Regarding alcohol, there'll be bottles of beer or lager in the fridge, I imagine, and possibly bottles of red or white wine in the kitchen to consume with the takeaways. Mycroft will have something much more refined, of course – probably bottles of brandy or port.

**Snacks **

**Chips = crisps** (in Britain, chips are fries, e.g. fish and chips, burger and chips)

**Cookies = biscuits** (although American-style cookies have crept in). John is likely to have something fairly plain such as a Rich Tea, a digestive, a hob nob or (if he's feeling particularly racy) a _chocolate_ hob nob with his tea. British blokes are not usually particularly imaginative when it comes to biscuits.

'**American' biscuits = crackers**, which are non-sweet and usually eaten with something like cheese, for lunch.

**Cakes** – the lovely Mrs H. is probably quite old-fashioned – sadly, home-baked cakes are not so common these days. She's likely to bake scones, which are eaten with jam (and cream if in a café/restaurant/tea room/hotel), or something like a Victoria Sponge (a sponge cake layered with jam and/or cream), or mince pies (very popular at Christmas, although more often shop-bought these days). I love that scene where Sherlock goes into her flat and gets a mince pie from the fridge. That's probably quite typical of most British men – they wouldn't necessarily bother to buy cakes, but will eat them if given the opportunity. I can't see John picking up packets of cakes at the supermarket.

**Muffins** – a slightly complicated picture! English muffins are a kind of plain tea-cake, which would be sliced in half, grilled and eaten with butter or jam. They're not so popular these days. American-style muffins are common in Britain now, so a distinction might be made between the English and American versions on café menus. John might be tempted to order something like a chocolate chip American muffin or possibly an American-style cookie with his tea in a café, where those kinds of cakes are fairly popular.

At Christmas, mince pies and Christmas cake are popular, but are likely to be shop-bought, unless provided by Mrs H. When it comes to Christmas puddings, the dedicated are likely to start preparing these, i.e. soaking them in copious amounts of alcohol, the previous summer (or in my gran's case, sometime around March).

**Sweets **– John almost certainly eats the occasional Kit Kat or Mars / Snickers bar, especially if he's too busy to grab a sandwich during the day. Sherlock probably wouldn't pollute his body with anything of that nature – if he did, it would probably be dark (or plain) chocolate, which is seen as a bit healthier. Cadburys or Mars milk chocolate is perceived as pretty unhealthy and possibly not even chocolate (it's certainly frowned on in many continental European countries as having a too low cocoa content). Mycroft probably indulges in imported Swiss or Belgian chocolates.

* * *

**THE NHS (NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE) AND HOW JOHN WORKS**

**Health care is free! (yes, really) - **This is one that often causes considerable confusion. The majority of health care in British is free and provided by the NHS, which is centralised, although power is mostly held by regional health authorities. There _is _private health care, and richer British people often have private health insurance so they can avoid waiting lists for specialist consultation or surgery, but most Brits don't have this. It might be provided through your employer.

**Primary health care / General practice (where John works) - **Care can be primary, which means it's provided by a doctor known as a General Practitioner (GP). GPs don't specialise – they deal with the entire population and a wide variety of health problems. They will prescribe drugs for minor problems, can monitor and manage more serious chronic conditions, e.g. diabetes (once the patient has had that condition diagnosed by a specialist), and can carry out minor surgical procedures, e.g. mole removal. Anything more serious, e.g. suspected cancer, heart disorders, arthritis etc., will be referred to the local NHS hospital, although GPs may order blood tests first.

GPs will avoid carrying out anything other than very basic procedures – where possible, they will refer. So John is unlikely to be carrying out emergency or specialist treatment in his office. And, in fact, they do very little beyond basic diagnosis – they are backed up by practice nurses, who provide immunisations and minor care; health visitors, who screen children up to school age and provide advice to parents; community midwives, who provide out-of-hospital care to pregnant women; and phlebotomists, who carry out blood tests. There are community nurses who provide care at home, e.g. to elderly or chronically ill people. All of which is to say that John will not spend his day giving jabs to screaming kids or bandaging leg ulcers – that would all be referred to the practice nurse.

Some screening services are provided by GP surgeries, but these are very limited in the UK. There are screening programmes for cervical and breast cancer and a voluntary screening service for bowel cancer provided to older people, but by and large, Britain is seriously lacking in this kind of care – presumably because of the high cost of providing it free. GPs don't provide annual checks, e.g. regular screening for testicular or prostate cancer. They would only do so if a patient came to them complaining of symptoms…at which stage, it could well be too late. But anyway, it's fairly unlikely that John would provide an annual health check for Sherlock.

**How would John work? – **In the show, we see that John is working either as an employed GP or as a locum in a GP surgery managed by Sarah as the senior GP (it's not overly clear from the episode). GPs don't specialise, and there's no such thing as specialist clinics (except in the private sector). So John, for example, wouldn't work in a specialist paediatric clinic or a cancer clinic, or something like that – to do that, he'd have to retrain and work in a secondary or tertiary care setting. He would be working a fairly standard office day, probably 8.30 to 5.30, although some GPs do shift work to provide 'out-of-hours' care. As a locum, John might well do that to make some extra money.

One thing to note: Moffatt and Gatiss are using a bit of artistic licence here because, in fact, John would not be qualified to work as a GP! To be a GP, you have to take extra exams. Medical students generally start out as junior doctors in hospitals for a couple of years of hard graft, first as a House Officer and then as a Senior House Officer (SHO). They can then either specialise and become a Registrar, Senior Registrar and then Consultant in a specific health area, or they can choose to become a GP and take a series of exams to do so, known as the MRCGP. Going into General Practice is a popular career move for women in particular, because it's easier to organise family life around working hours.

Now, John _may_ have taken his MRCGP earlier in his career, but that's unlikely if he's always been in the army. It's possible that Sarah was prepared to overlook that as, in some parts of London, there is a severe shortage of doctors… but I'm pretty sure she would have got into trouble with the General Medical Council (GMC) if she did take him on without the correct qualifications! Oh well…

**Secondary care** - provided in the local general hospital. Most hospitals include most departments, although some might specialise a bit, e.g. paediatrics, orthopaedics, burns, cancer. So, to some extent, that affects where you go if you have an emergency. All big hospitals have an A&E (Accident and Emergency) department (what is usually termed an Emergency Room or ER in the US), and will accept any emergencies, but a child might be referred to the A&E of a hospital that has a paediatric unit, so the child can be seen by a specialist. Ambulances may be used to move patients between A&Es. All this care is free.

**Ambulatory (emergency) care** - Outside emergencies will be attended by paramedics (not EMTs) in ambulances (and some paramedics travel singly in cars or even on bikes to get there quicker than the ambulance). Paramedics can assess and provide basic care and advice; if they do decide you need to go to hospital, you don't get to choose where you go. That's true even for those with private health insurance – e.g. a friend of mine who had appendicitis was admitted to the local NHS hospital for emergency surgery and was only transferred to her private hospital of choice when her NHS consultant was happy to discharge her. By the way, you _can_ discharge yourself against advice but in certain circumstances, e.g. a parent wanting to discharge a seriously-ill child or a pregnant woman refusing treatment to save her baby, social services may be called in to make a decision on your behalf. John and Sherlock are unlikely to be challenged if they refuse hospital treatment for injuries, although in Sherlock's case, there may be circumstances in which his ability to make an 'informed decision' is called into question – e.g. if he is obviously high on drugs. He could be 'sectioned' in those circumstances (e.g. forced to undergo treatment/taken to a secure psychiatric unit).

**Tertiary care** - is more specialist, e.g. a cancer hospital, a children's hospital (like Great Ormond Street) – and this is all free too. One bone of contention in Britain is the increasing amount of specialism – we're used to having our health services locally and are not keen on having to travel too far out of our towns to see a specialist.

**Private hospitals/private doctors** – private hospitals basically provide private secondary and tertiary care, which is not necessarily of higher quality than state care, but you can often be seen more quickly. It's a way of jumping the dreaded waiting lists. Mycroft (and possibly Sherlock) might receive elective (planned) surgery in a private hospital, but if they had an emergency, they'd be more likely to be carted off to the nearest NHS hospital. Paramedics don't tend to check your health insurance first!

Private doctors work rather like GPs, but are likely to be able to provide more individualised care. They may also specialise, e.g. a women could pay to see a private obstetrician. Mycroft will certainly have a private physician and would probably be able to see his doctor whenever he wants to, rather than having to make an appointment and wait for a few days, as with GPs.

So…to summarise:

**What we DON'T pay for (unless we want to) - **consultations, treatment at a GP surgery or in a hospital, maternity services, blood tests and _some_ referred treatments, such as physiotherapy or osteopathy. Also drugs for chronic conditions are free, e.g. a diabetic would receive all his/her insulin and testing strips free of charge. In addition to this, prescribed contraceptives are free.

**What we DO pay for -** Adults have to pay for dental treatment, non-referred treatments like physiotherapy, and prescribed drugs for non-chronic conditions (although drug therapy as a hospital inpatient is free and if you go to A&E for a minor condition instead of to your GP, you're likely to get your drugs free at discharge). For pregnant women, children, older people and those with disabilities or chronic conditions, most paid-for services are free, e.g. dental treatment during pregnancy.

**Pregnancy/birth** – women are allocated a community midwife by the local maternity unit, who will lead their care throughout. Community/hospital midwives will care for you during labour and you're only likely to see a hospital consultant if there is a complication that the midwife decides to refer or if you end up having an assisted delivery/caesarean section. Radiographers carry out scans in maternity clinics. Women only have their 'own' obstetrician if they go private. I didn't see a doctor once during my pregnancy and labour. This is really only of interest if you're writing about John/Mary or other female character, I guess!

* * *

**THE POLICE**

I have to confess that this is an area that I don't know a massive amount about, so this is just a few pointers.

Each county in Britain has their own police force and then some of the cities/large towns have a separate one - it depends on the population size. In the case of London, the force is known as the Metropolitan Police and it is based at New Scotland Yard (which is normally known as the Yard rather than as NSY). The police force is usually abbreviated to The Met. I'm told by an insider(!) that the Met consider themselves the 'bee's knees' among the police forces and tend to take the piss out of the more rural forces. And there is something in that - if there's a particularly serious case somewhere else in Britain, e.g. a man hunt, an abducted child or an act of terrorism, the affected police force might request specialist help/manpower from the Met.

A detective inspector like Greg Lestrade will lead a team. He will have some Detective Sergeants, e.g. Sally Donovan, who will have some autonomy in carrying out investigations but would have to report closely with him, and Detective Constables, who are fairly junior and will do the dog work.

A DI will be based in a unit - in Lestrade's case, it is almost certainly a murder investigation team working within the Homicide and Serious Crime Command. Others will work in different areas and a case might be referred to the appropriate unit. This 'plain clothes' unit is quite distinct from the uniformed divisions who patrol the streets and deal with day-to-day crime in London, although they will work together, e.g. at a crime scene, a uniformed constable will be keeping curious onlookers away while the specialist unit investigates.

Regarding guns - their private use is illegal in the UK apart from in controlled situations such as gun clubs. John could face a prison sentence just for possession of a gun, let alone using it - which is why Sherlock suddenly shut up when he realised that it was John who shot the cabbie. Equally, the police do not habitually carry guns, unless they are going into a known dangerous situation. Lestrade, Dimmock and Donovan etc. will not carry a gun in most circumstances.

Anderson is a bit of an anomaly. He appears to work for the Met's forensic apartment. He will be present at scenes, of course, but apart from advising the DI and carrying out the usual forensic work, he is unlikely to be involved in any actual solving of the crime. In other words, he won't be working alongside Lestrade or Donovan in the investigation process - he's purely there as an expert adviser. And he wouldn't be part of Lestrade's 'team' - he will be just one of a group of forensic scientists who just happened to be on duty when a call came in about a crime scene. It is implied in the show that he's also an irritating git who likes to give his own opinion, much to Sherlock's disgust! To be working in forensics, he will have been highly trained and is unlikely to be that much of an idiot, except when he tries to solve the case.

* * *

**SCHOOL / STUDENT LIFE**

May be useful for kidfics.

**State education -** Every child is entitled to a free education and will be placed by the local authorities in a school in their 'catchment' area. Hence parents have been known to deliberately move into areas where there is a school perceived to be good. You don't always get your first choice, especially if the school is very popular. So some parents will resort to:

**Private education **– there are levels. Some private schools are probably within the reach of families where both parents work in reasonably well-paid occupations. Then there are the 'public schools' - extremely expensive private schools, which usually include boarding facilities for children from about the age of 7. Examples include Eton and Harrow (Benedict's school). If you are very lucky, you might get a scholarship to a private school (my husband did) or you might get assistance with some of the fees, but that is more difficult to come by these days.

John probably went to a state school, while Mycroft and Sherlock undoubtedly went to Eton. One thing though: you HAVE to prove that your child is being educated. If you opt out of the state school system to send your child to a private school, you will have to provide proof of that. A parent who habitually refuses to provide education for their child could receive a prison sentence. Some who are disenchanted with the official system will home educate, but in that case will have to provide proof that a curriculum is being followed.

There are 4 stages in the education journey:

**Primary school education** – you start in the year in which you turn 5. Primary schools take children from age 5 to age 11, at which point they move to:

**Secondary school education** – age 11 to either age 16 or age 18. Children work towards their state examinations, known as GCSEs, which they take at the age of 16. They will then either leave or stay on for two more years to take 'A'-levels at the age of 18. They tend to be known as school children or students – not freshmen, juniors or seniors. Such descriptions don't exist. Also, you don't graduate from school, and they don't have graduation ceremonies. They have started to have American-style 'proms' these days, but not on the same scale – it's basically a party that is slightly posher than usual. The usual prom traditions, e.g. Prom Queen etc., don't usually take place.

Secondary schools can be 'comprehensive' schools (standard, state-run, will take any child), church schools (or other religious schools, who might select by religion, although the church ones often don't these days), or grammar schools (selective schools which take only those who pass specific exams). If we assume that John is a fairly bright individual, he may have got into a grammar school (although in some parts of Britain, grammar schools are now private). If he did, he'd take both his GCSEs and 'A'-levels at school. He might have to get top grades (A*s) in at least 2 sciences (probably Biology and Chemistry) to go on to study medicine.

Middle schools still exist in some areas – they take kids between 9 and 13, at which point, the child moves onto secondary school.

**Further education** – this is the 16-18 age range and they are usually known as students or college students. Some schools provide education up to 18, or students can go to a further education college instead. They will either take 'A'-levels or a more vocational education course, e.g. child care. Alternatively, they may become apprentices for 'blue collar' occupations, such as plumbers, electricians etc. By the way, 'blue collar' occupations are not looked down upon any more – those occupations tend to earn a fair amount of money these days, so 'working class'/'middle class' distinctions don't really apply. So an apprenticeship or a vocational course may be popular.

**Higher/University education** – for Batchelor (first level) and Master (second level) degrees and PhDs (research degrees). Again, they are known purely as students or university students (not college students at this stage). It's after completing a first level degree, which is usually 3 or 4 years (or 5 for medicine), that you graduate, and not before.

Some universities cover a wide variety of topics, including medicine and the sciences. For example, my cousin studied medicine at Edinburgh University. However, John might also apply to study at a specific School of Medicine – Bart's would be one, and it's implied in the show that he used to be there, either as a student or a lecturer.

**Why army? – **A medical degree in the UK costs a great deal of money. Students can take out interest-free loans and spend years paying them off, but another alternative is to join the army (or navy or air force). The army will pay for your degree and you 'pay' for it by serving for a number of years. This _could_ be the reason why John went into the army. But a British medical degree is usually 5 years and you have to serve about 7 years in the army after that (I'm going by the experiences of a woman I know who did precisely that), so assuming that John graduated at the age of 23, he would have been eligible to leave the army at the age of 30…and he didn't do that. We can therefore assume that he was something of a career soldier before being shot.

**Student life** – University students wouldn't live in dormitories (dorms). Occasionally, two students might share a room (I did in my first year), but that is increasingly unusual. Most have their own room, probably fairly tiny with a bed, a few bits of furniture, a desk and a sink, with a shared bathroom along the corridor. Students often only live in established student accommodation in their first year; after that, they often find 'digs' outside the University grounds, with other students to share the rent.

The exception to this will be some of the older colleges at Oxford or Cambridge University, where even first year students might be lucky enough to be allocated a suite of rooms with their own bathroom. Influence might help here – it's possible that Mycroft or Sherlock might be favoured due to family connections.

There aren't private members' clubs at most universities (apart from fairly exclusive ones at Oxford/Cambridge), so Sherlock/John wouldn't be invited to wild fraternity parties or the like. There are clubs based on interests, e.g. walking clubs, drama clubs etc. and students will come to them from across the University (i.e. there is no great sense of 'loyalty' to the college or accommodation block that you happen to be based in).

Most universities have cheap bars, usually run by the Student's Union, or there'll be local pubs informally known as students' locals. By and large, students have a fairly free life as long as they don't actually break the law, i.e. university authorities won't necessarily control how often they attend lectures etc. Basically, you can do as much/little study as you like, and if you fail your end-of-year exams, it's perceived to be your fault.

* * *

**TERMINOLOGY**

I'm a little hesitant here, because I can guarantee that if I say that British people don't use such-and-such terms, I'm bound to get a replay from someone saying "well, _I_ do". So you may need to take this with a pinch of salt. There are regional accents – I've generally assumed that our characters talk with either London accents or with received pronunciation (a sort-of neutral accent). Also, a lot of Americanisms have crept into our language, so please bear in mind that I'm in my forties and not entirely conversant with what British teenagers say these days!

This is just a basic summary of words/phrases that I've frequently read in fics that don't entirely fit with the British language. I'm not going to say they're 'wrong' because presumably to you, they're not. I'm just saying that they are not words/phrases that our characters would use (assuming that you are portraying them as British) and therefore tend to stick out a bit.

British people don't say:

**Anyways** – they would say anyway.

**Gotten **– the word is got

One thing we are experts at is:

**Swear words** – these are a bit tricky (apologies if I offend anyone with the following words!)

First of all, we don't say 'curse' or 'cursing' (and definitely not 'cussing'), we say 'swear' or 'swearing'.

We don't tend to say 'heck', 'man' (as in "Oh maaaaan!"), 'gosh' or 'golly'.

Common swear words that someone like John would use are: Damn, Jesus, bloody (or bloody hell), bugger, shit or fuck. By the way, I don't _think_ John ever says 'fuck' in the series, but that's probably more so they can get the programme past the BBC's 'watershed' regulations rather than because John himself is too gentlemanly to use that word. It would be rife in the army and even fairly well-spoken Brits will pepper their conversation with it. Martin and Benedict themselves frequently use 'fuck' in interviews (though it may be edited out depending on the publication/TV programme).

John would not be considered to be particularly rude in his use of such words. A lot of British 'blokes' (and women too) use them as a matter of course – we're used to it and Brits are not all that fussy about 'cursing' (apart from some religious people). He would, however, probably only use them in extreme circumstances, either because he's scared, startled or lost his temper. He certainly wouldn't swear at work and he might avoid using such language in front of Mrs Hudson.

Sherlock's language might be more refined. This won't be because he went to public school (Benedict did, and that doesn't stop him!) – it is more likely to be due to his family background. He won't have been exposed to the kind of language that John will have heard in the army – or at least not to the degree that it becomes a habit. He might consider himself to be above the use of such language, as would Mycroft. I don't think he would use the word 'fuck' in relationship to sex, e.g. he's unlikely to say something like "the victims were clearly fucking"; more likely "they were clearly having sex". He is probably scornful of John's use of such language, considering it to be unimaginative or limited.

**Terms of affection** - Equally tricky. It slightly depends on the context.

A man to another man (non-sexual) – might say 'mate' or 'pal', as in "You alright, mate?" John and Greg might say 'mate'; Sherlock probably avoids use of such terms. 'Buddy' or 'bud' is not likely to be used - they're a bit American.

A woman to another woman – younger women who are very friendly might say 'hon', 'sweetie' etc. An older woman, like Mrs Hudson, will often describe someone else (male or female) as 'love' (not 'luv') or 'dear', as in "Sherlock, dear…" or "John, love…".

In a romantic relationship, common British terms of affection are: 'darling' or 'love'. Possibly also 'sweetheart', although that's a bit old-fashioned. Other terms might be slightly playful, e.g. 'sexy', 'gorgeous', 'handsome' etc. 'Dear' or 'dearest' would be used by a much older person, generally – John is unlikely to use 'dear'. 'Honey' or 'hon' would probably only be used by a young woman.

British people don't (usually) say: 'angel', 'baby' or 'babe', 'sweetums' or anything else _really _twee – we're too embarrassed to be very sentimental in our terms of affection. And even in a long-established relationship, e.g. John with Mary, he's quite likely to just use her name or the words 'love' or 'darling'.

Other words:

**Store** = supermarket. The 'store' or 'corner shop' doesn't really exist to the same extent these days. John would do his shopping at a small supermarket – a ubiquitous one is Tesco Metro. If he wanted to stock up, he'd go to an out-of-town superstore – the big ones are Tesco, Sainsbury's and ASDA (also Waitrose or Marks and Spencer if he was feeling rich, and John Lewis if he were feeling very rich). There are no shopping 'malls' – they're known as shopping centres. Also, if John was announcing his intentions, he'd probably say, "I'm just off to Tesco's" as opposed to "I'm just off to the store".

Mycroft (or Anthea) would probably order his food in from an expensive food outlet, such as Fortnum's and Mason's or Harrods.

**Cab** – this one's not that big a deal, actually, but they are usually known as taxis or black cabs.

**Subway/metro** – more commonly known as the tube or the Underground, as in "get the tube" or "use the Underground".

* * *

**CONCLUSION**

Well, I hope the above helped a bit (and didn't offend anyone). If there's anything else you'd like to check about the British way of life, do get in touch! Equally, if you're a fellow Brit and disagree with any of the above, do let me know and I'll correct it and credit you.


End file.
